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Saturday, February 6, 2010

From Mashable: Facebook Homepage Redesigned for Search

As of now, my Facebook UI hasn't changed yet to the new design which gives me design-envy. Oh well, it will change pretty soon I guess -- Usually for the better. But I'm expecting another backlash from users up until they get used to it. What's new? Facebook. :P

Facebook confirmed to us that the redesign is already rolling out to users. Everyone will get access to the new homepage shortly, and Facebook plans to post an update to its blog announcing the changes later today. In the meantime, the lucky few who have the new homepage are posting pictures on their blogs,Twitter, and elsewhere. The best repository we’ve seen isMatthew Sanders’s Posterous; it’s where we got the images in this post

A More Powerful Homepage

The pics show a much larger and more prominently placed search bar, which is just another example of how Facebook means business with search.

Facebook addedreal-time searchfeatures several months ago, and many of its recent privacy changeswere made in the hopes that users would make some of their updates public so others could search for information just like they already do on Twitter and some other networks.

Many of the items (like groups and events) that were kept in the Applications menu in the bottom left have been moved back to the left sidebar on the main page. Rather than taking you to a new page, these now open within the main window where the feed usually appears.

UPDATE: Though you won’t see Friends lists in the screen shots, they still exist for the purposes of the privacy features for updates and profile info, and as sorting options for the news feed. The lists will expand if you click on “Friends.” Thanks to our readers for pointing this out.

Easier Messaging

Instant messaging and the e-mail-like message inbox have been moved out of the periphery as well. Not only can you check your inbox from a dropdown menu at the top, you can send messages from there as well — again, all without leaving the front page. Your IM contact list is no longer hidden in a popup menu in the bottom right; it’s now in the left sidebar.